Ironing board



Feb. 18, 1941. v I I FERNANDEZ 2,232,221

IRONING BOARD Filed May '7, 1940 Patented Feb. 18,1941

UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE IRONING BOARD Manuel Fernandez, Covington,La. Application May 7,1940, Serial No. 333,839

4 Claims.

It a particular object of the invention to provide -a novel lockingmeans for the support legs and braces of the ironing board, which isgravity actuated to releasing position and automatically moved tolocking position when the board is erected for use.

It is also an important object of the invention to provide an ironingboard of the kind stated in which a. minimum of parts are required, andwhich are of simple construction, enabling the construction of anironing boardat a lowcost.

invention will be apparent from the following description considered inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the board in erect position." Y

Figure 2 is an enlarged rearelevation thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on the line 3--3'ofFigure 2. I

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the board partly collapsed position.

"Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of certain of the lockingelements, embodied in the board.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of certain of the locking elements indetached relation.

There is illustrated generally, an ironing board III which embodies awork board it, the latter being of any conventional design and of anysired length and width. 40 l The board H is preferably bracedlongitudinally, as at 12, the braces being positioned inwardly of thelongitudinal sides of the board as clearly shown in Figure 2, and arelocatedmedially of the point of support of upright legs 13.

Rearwardly of thebraces 12, two pairs of cars I34 are fixed to theunderside of the board, between each pair ofwhioh a forwardly extendeddiagonal leg -I5 is pivotally mounted, the legs l5 being approximatelythe same length as the board II. A leg I5 is pivotally connected torespective legs l5, as at l6.

Forwardly of the braces l2 and in the medial I longitudinal center ofthe board H a pair of ears I"! are provided, between which there ispivotally mounted abrace rod 18, the construction and Additionalobjects, advantages and features of function of which will be describedhereinafter.

The legs l3 are braced and spaced apart by a pair of rungs l9 and 20,each of which has a vertically extending bore 24 positioned medially ofthe length of the rungs 19 and 20, and which re- 5 ceiveslidably'therethrough a locking rod 22.

A portion of the rod 22 next adjacent the rung I9 is of reduceddiameter, providing a shoulder 23 which cooperates with a' stop plate24, fixed to the upper face of the rung l9, thus limiting downwardsliding movement of the rod 22.

The rod 22 is of a length slightly greater than the spacing of the rungsl9 and 20, so that in normal erect position of the ironing board the rodwill project upwardly through the upper rung 20, for a purpose as willpresently appear.

} Upon the inner face of the rung 20, there is mounted a guide andretainer'plate 25, having an L-shaped formation, the angle portion 26extending forwardly at right angles to the rung 20. The plate 25 has aslot 21 formed therein, extended vertically thereof and forwardly of theportion 26 as clearly shown in Figure 6. The plate 25 is so positionedand fixed to the rung as to align the slot 21 with the bore 2| of therung. 2s

A brace rod 28 is pivotally mounted between the legs I5 by means of atransverse pintle 29, the forward end of the rod 28 having a, lock plate30 secured to the underside of the brace and slidably extended throughthe slot 21 of the guide 30 plate 25. As may be seen in Figure 5, theplate 30 has a broadened head 3| of a width greater than the slot 21 soas to limit the backward movement of the plate and to align an opening'32 with the bore 21. The plate 30 also has a right angularly disposedportion 33 extended vertically, apertured as at 3!, adapted to slidablyreceive a tongue 35 of the brace IS. The tongue 35 has its extremity 36disposed at a slight angle so as to snugly rest upon the lock plate 30,and has an 40 oval-shaped aperture 31 through which the rod 22 may beextended. Preferably, the tongue '35 is of a length to project slightlybeyond the portion 33 when in erect or operative position of the board.I

If desired, or found necessary, the legs 13 may be additionally bracedadjacent their upper ends by a rung 38. The rung 28 will have an offsetmedial portion 39 for accommodation of the brace it! when in foldedposition. i

The plate 30 is illustrated as screw-fastened to the bar 28 and in orderto accommodate the heads of the screws during sliding movements of thebar 28. through the slots 21 and, the rung 201s provided with a channel40.

The operation 01 collapsing the board will be sumtantially as follows:The ironing board is raised so that the legs 13 are lifted from thefloor,

allowing the rod 22 to slide downwardly through the openings 2| untilchecked by the plate 24 which engages the shoulder 23 of the rod.Obviously, the plate 30 and the tongue 35 are released, the bar 28 andassociated plate 3|! moving through the slot 21 while the tongue andcomplemental brace l8' pass through the slot 34 as operative position bymovement of the board II.

The head 3| will limit or stop movement of the braces by reason ofcontacting engagement with a the plate 25, and in this position of theparts the rod 22 will pass upwardly through the aligned openings 32 and36 when the legs l3 are rested upon the floor.

While I have shown and described a preferred construction, this is byway'of illustration only,

and I consider as my own all such modifications in structure as fairlyfall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: I

1. In an ironing board, a pair of legs pivotally connected to one endthereof, a leg pivotally connected to each of the first named legs andhaving its upper end inbearing engagement with the underside of theboard, said second named legs having a pair of vertically spaced rungs,a rod slidably mounted through the rungs, a brace pivotally connected tothe first named legs and having an aperture aligned with and engaged bythe rod in erected position, a brace pivotally con- .nected with the.board and having an apertured portion adapted to align with and receivethe rod therethrough in erected position, guide mean for aligning saidapertures with the rod, said .rod

being of-a length to be projected through the apertures of the, braceswhen the second named legs are engaged upon a floor and means forslidably connecting the braces adjacent their free ends.

2. The strhcture of claim 1 in which one of the rungs includes stopmeans for limiting downward sliding movement of the rod.

3. In an ironing board, a-pair of normally disposed diagonal legspivoted to one end thereof, a

normally vertical leg pivoted to each of the divagonal legs, the upperendof "the vertical legs .being in contacting engagement with theunderside of the board, said vertical legs having a pairof verticallyspaced rungs, each of the rungs having a vertically disposed bore, a rodslidably mounted through the bores of 'the rung, a brace pivotallyconnected to the diagonal legs intermediate their lengths, said bracehaving an apertured portion adapted to align with and receive said rodtherethrough in erected position, a brace pivotally connected with theboard and having an apertured portion adapted to align with and receivethe rod therethrough in erected position, guide means for aligning saidapertures with the rod, said rod beingof a length to project through thealigned apertures of the braces when the vertical legs are engaged upona supporting surface, means for slidably interconnecting the bracesadjacent their free ends, and means for limiting the downward slidingmovement of the rod.

4. In an ironing board, a pair of normally disposed diagonal legspivoted to oneend thereof, a normally vertical leg pivoted to each ofthe diagonal leg, the upper end of the vertical legs being in'contactingengagement with the underside of the board, said vertical legs having apair of vertically spaced rungs, each of the rungs having a verticallydisposed aligned bore, a rod slid ably mounted through the bores of therung, a guide plate fixed to the upper rung, the guide plate having anopening therethrough, a brace pivotally connected to the diagonal legsintermediate their lengths, said brace having a plate fixed to its freeend and extended through the opening of the guide plate, said platehaving an abutment means near the free end consisting of a head ofgreater width than the opening to limit outward movement of the brace,and terminating in an upwardly extended apertured plate, a bracepivotally connected with the board and having a tongue adapted to flatlyabut upon the head of the plate and of a width to pass through theopening of theupwardly extended plate, said head and tongue havingapertures aligned with the bores of the rungs in erected position, saidrod being of a length to be projected through the aligned apertures ofthe braces when the vertical legs are engaged upon a supporting surface,said rod having a reduced diameter adjacent its lower end, and a stopplate on the lower rung positioned within the reduced portion whereby tolimit the downward movement of the rod.

